Not Today
by loveladytime
Summary: "Do you trust me?" The tip of Noll's fingers is close to hers. Mai nodded and reached harder until Noll caught her hand and pulled her out from her misery. AU [Please do not read if you don't like subjects about suicide and depression or if it would trigger unwanted emotions]


"I'm sorry, Gene." Noll climbed over the edge of the building and stood with his head looking up in the sky. He was about to jump when he heard a woman scream a few meters away from him.

"Is there someone there?! Help me! Oh, god. Please, help me!" Noll was stunned for a moment. He ran from where he can hear the woman's voice once he realized she was somehow near. He spotted the woman and saw her gripping on a support board of the building's wall. He was confused as to how the woman had gotten to her situation but nonetheless made his way to reach for her.

"I don't want to die. Please, hurry! My hands are slipping," She was crying and was looking at him with those big brown eyes.

"Give me your hand," Noll tried to speak as calmly as possible to prevent the woman from panicking than she already was.

"Oh, my god. I'm falling. Oh, god. I don't want to die!" The woman's hands were slipping from the support board. Her tears flowing continuously from her eyes.

"Calm down and reach for my hand. You are not going to die." Noll was trying so hard to reach the girl's hand.

"But—" She was now hysterical.

"Do you trust me?" The tip of Noll's fingers is close to hers.

The girl nodded and reached harder until Noll caught her hand and pulled her out from her misery. Noll gripped her arms tight. He held on to her waist to lift her from the railings. Once they got out from danger, Noll slumped to the floor lying down panting. The woman was also panting and had already stopped crying.

"Thank you so much! I would have died any moment if you had been late any minute."

Aftet she had calmed down, she faced naru.

"My name is Taniyama Mai. And yours?" Mai stared at the handsome young man who just saved her life.

Noll ignored her and sat still. He contemplated for a moment and stood from where he is. He walked and went back from where he was standing before he heard the girl scream. He was about to climb when Mai held on to his sleeve and tugged him.

"Leave me alone. Aren't you safe now? Get out of here." His tone was cold and piercing. He was annoyed that he got interrupted somehow from what he was about to do earlier and is now becoming upset.

"What the hell are you going to do?! Don't tell me you're planning to jump off the building because if you are then you are hell out of your mind!" Panic was rising from her and her eyes went teary again.

"What I plan to do is none of your business, Miss. Leave. Or do you want me to drag you and throw you back inside?" Noll was now beginning to feel extremely irritated and was trying so hard not to yell at the woman in front of him.

"Hey! Whatever you're planning to do, please don't! If I have to drag you myself out of here, I will and you can't stop me!" Mai gripped harder at his arm and pulled hard forcing him from his feet to walk with her.

Noll tried to stop the woman and ended up bumping into her when he tried pulling his hand from her. He accidentally stepped on her toe, slipped and fell with the back of his head hitting a concrete block. He felt an overwhelming pain and a sudden dizziness hit him. The last thing he remembered seeing was those crying brown eyes staring worriedly at him.

"Oh my god! Are you okay! I'm so sorry! I didn't—" His hearing and sight went blurry after that.

...

Noll woke up from the sound of a woman crying. His head was lying on someone's lap. He can smell the scent of her shampoo and cologne because of their proximity. He can feel a cold hand caress the top of his head and somehow it felt comforting. He can feel pain from the back of his head. He didn't want to open his eyes. When he made a move to inform the woman that he was awake, the woman stopped crying and shifted from her position.

"Mister, are you okay? Please, tell me you're okay?" Her voice sounded desperate and worried.

Noll opened his eyes and looked up at her. He can see her eyes clearly now. Her brown eyes were now almost red and her face looked blotchy from crying. He didn't hear what she was saying and just stared at her. How long was it that he had seen a pair of eyes looking so worriedly at him? He did not know what kind of feeling this was. Comfort? Comfort because someone was worried about him? He didn't know. He had lost sense of life since the day he lost Gene and had never seen that kind of look from someone's eyes since the day his brother died.

"Mister, are you okay? Oh, god. You're unresponsive. I think I need to call an ambulance, but I lost my phone somewhere." Mai was still hysterical and hiccupping between her words.

"I'm fine. I don't need to go to a hospital," Noll groaned as the pain at the back of his head intensified. He tried to sit still but failed and fell back from her lap.

"Don't move. Just stay still. Do you have your phone with you? I'll call the ambulance," Mai was now holding him down so that he would stay still.

"I said I don't need an ambulance. How long have I been out?" Noll was starting to feel irritated again.

"Why are you so stubborn? When I say that you need to be checked, you will. god. You are making me sick. You've been out for around half an hour"

"You are the one who's making me feel sick. Why are you even here in the first place? Everything should have went smoothly if you just didn't stick your nose on someone else's business", Noll was still lying on her lap and staring pointedly at her, not aware that their proximity was somehow making them look a bit intimate.

"I'm not so heartless to watch you kill yourself like that. I don't care what the hell you're going through but don't do it with me looking. I won't be able to sleep at night knowing that I let someone die and didn't do anything to stop it." She was now furious at the young man in front of him. She swore she would have hit him if he just didn't have hurt himself earlier.

"It is not your—"

"Shut up, I will not let you kill yourself. Not on my watch you idiot." Mai cut him off to shut him.

You Idiot.

Noll was stunned. It sounded so familiar. No one in their right mind would call him an idiot. He is the great doctor, Oliver Griffith. Only his brother would have the guts to do that. But this girl? Who does she think she is?

"If you're planning to kill yourself then I won't stop you. But not now. Not today. Not when I'm looking. I won't stop you from killing yourself just please, not now. Do it some other time. For now, let's find you a place where you can calm down and get you some ice for your head. Are you still feeling dizzy?" Mai said looking away, hiding her worry. Her throat clenched so tight that it made it hard for her to speak.

Noll stared at her before trying to sit. He gently removed her hand from him not removing his eyes from her.

"I'm fine now," Noll said softly and surprisingly gentle than he intended to do.

Mai looked at him and stared at him for a moment.

"Can we find a place to talk or if you don't want to talk, just anywhere aside from this abandoned building."

Noll was silent. He calmed himself for a moment and then nodded to her before standing up. He almost fell back again. Mai caught his arm and supported him to stand. They walked out of the rooftop with Mai supporting him and headed down together. Once they were out of the building, they immediately saw a park nearby and sat on a bench. Noll was still dizzy with the fall and wanted to sit for a moment to let it pass for a few minutes.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Mai said once they sat down the bench.

"I'm fine." Noll needed to calm his nerves. So much has happened for the past hour. How did it end like this? He was supposed to be dead by now but here he is. Sitting and staring at nothing in particular.

"Do you need anything? Maybe I can find an icepack for your head." Mai asked.

"No," Noll answered, clutching his head.

"I see. You haven't told me your name yet."

"What are you even doing in that building in the first place?" Noll suddenly asked.

Mai stared at him. Uncertainty was obvious from her reaction.

"I was... I... I-I was planning to commit suicide too but when I saw how high the building was, I...I got scared! I'm afraid of heights you know. I suddenly realized that I didn't want to die like that. But then... Since I panicked, I lost my balance and fell. I was fortunate to be able to hold on to a board stuck to that wall. I was trying so hard not to cry and calm down to prevent myself from moving too much. Then I heard someone, I heard you, and there you have it."

"You are afraid of heights and yet you chose to commit suicide by jumping off a building?" Noll said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I thought I wanted to face my fears at least before I die! But I... Uh... I just felt scared and retreated from doing it. I thought of doing something else like maybe drowning myself at the beach or drink a whole bottle of sleeping pills or whatever!" Mai stomped her foot,

her face flushed with indignation.

"Well, Taniyama-san, In case you haven't noticed it's already past midnight, aren't your parents even looking for you?" Noll changed the subject.

"Well, I... I don't have one anymore so no one's waiting for me at home." Mai said looking at her fidgeting hands.

"And besides, I wasn't able to pay my rent for a long time so I'm pretty sure the landlady had already thrown out my stuff," Mai added.

Noll stared at the girl in front of him. She was just like him and Gene. An orphan.

"But it's okay, I usually sleep on parks or any bench I see nowadays so I can manage. What about you? Aren't your parents looking for you?" Mai asked.

"I'm a 30-year-old adult who doesn't need anyone to wait for me at home," Noll said coldly.

"Oh, you don't look like a 30-year-old man. In fact, I actually thought you were a handsome young man in his early twenties." Mai tilted her head still looking at him.

"So you actually think I'm handsome?" Noll raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, didn't you hear what I said? Or do you just want to fish more compliments from me, huh?"

"You have very good taste despite your lack of brains," Noll smirked.

Mai choked on thin air. 'Can you believe this guy? Sure, I may think he's handsome or what but most of all, it's his—condescending narcissistic manner! From now on, you're going to be Naru-chan! As in Naru-cissistic Naru-chan!'

"Your arm is bleeding," Noll said, his eyes widening slightly. He frowned at the deep wound on her arm that he failed to notice earlier.

"Oh, this. It's just uh—I think I got it when I fell from the railings and hit something," Mai tried to hide her arm.

Noll took a rubber baller band from his coat and tied it on her arm to prevent her from losing more blood than she already had. He removed his coat to wipe the blood dripping on her arm and covered it.

"Hold this." Noll said pertaining to the coat on her arm. "My place is not too far from here." Noll stood from his seat. Mai stood from her seat but was starting to feel confused. Noll grabbed Mai's wrist and gently tugged her.

"Hey, I'm fine. Where are we going?" Mai was almost dragged from her feet since Noll was walking a bit fast. It's almost as if he forgot that he had a bad fall earlier.

Noll hailed a taxi and gave the location on where they were gonna go. The journey was quiet. Noll sat staring ahead while Mai was staring at the window.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt earlier?" Noll hated himself for not noticing the wound on her arm. How on earth did he not notice that much blood that was dripping from her? He was so furious at himself.

"Hey, I'm fine, really. Please, pull over. I can manage from here." Mai pointed at the side of the road.

"Do you think I'm that heartless to let you walk in that state? Let's clean your wound before you go." Noll scolded.

"Hey! I'm not the one who's hurt here. I'm fine, really! Please drop me here. I said I can manage." Mai was serious now.

"Isn't it you who said that I was being stubborn? Look at yourself. Does this state tell you you're fine?" Noll slightly gripped her wounded arm. Mai squirmed in pain.

"Auuuwwwh..! You don't have to do that, you narcissistic jerk!" Mai was about to cry now.

"Let me clean your wound and I will let you go right after I do that," Noll said, glaring at her.

"Fine!" Mai glared back at him and huffed.

Noll loosened his hold on her. Soon, they reached a beautiful modern house. The house was surrounded by many trees which makes the place refreshing. Noll reached for his wallet and paid the taxi. He guided Mai on her feet. He noticed the suspicious look on the taxi driver's face but ignored it nonetheless.

Once inside, Noll immediately looked for his medical kit and took out a disinfectant alcohol and a towel to wipe off the dried blood that had dripped on her arm. He cleaned her wound and wrapped it perfectly.

"You're good at this." Mai stared at him while wiping some dried blood on her fingers.

"I'm a doctor." Noll said bluntly.

"Well, aren't you almost perfect, huh? Smart and—"

"If you're planning to tell me how handsome and good looking I am, forget it. I already know that. I've heard it a hundred times and I don't need people to keep reminding me of that." Noll cut her off.

"I have never met a bigger narcissist in my life!"

"You're welcome Taniyama-san." Noll tidied up the medical kit he used and stood from where he was sitting.

Mai glared at him until he disappeared into the kitchen. Noll took out a bag of ice from the fridge and placed a few on a cloth bag. He took one paracetamol from his medicine kit and drank it. He sat on a chair, placing the ice on the big lump on his head while trying to calm his nerves. What on earth is he doing? Has he gone mad? Letting a complete stranger inside his house and even treated her wound. Of course, he couldn't let her by herself with that kind of wound on her arm but she could be anyone for Pete's sake! Noll tried to shake off the thoughts inside his head. He would let this day pass and continue what he wanted to do probably some other day. He would need something to distract him in the meantime.

He went back to the living room almost after an hour only to see Mai who had fallen asleep on the sofa. She looked peaceful. He stared at her for a few minutes before carrying her to a guest room. He checked her wound again before covering her with a blanket and went to his room. He took a shower and there he cleaned himself up before going to bed.

...

Noll woke up to the sound of his alarm. His head felt painful and somehow he felt dizzy. He could feel a headache starting to form. It felt really cold. And his muscles felt like it was ripped from his bones. He wasn't able to stop a sneeze from escaping his lips.

He sat and clutched his head. He felt awful. He made to stand when someone knocked on his door. He sat for a moment, thinking if he was just imagining the sound. Who on earth would that be? His eyes slightly widened after realizing something. He suddenly remembered that woman from last night.

"Hey, Naru! Wake up! Time for breakfast!" Mai yelled.

He was stunned. 'What did she just call me?' Noll bolted his way to the door and opened it, surprising Mai.

"Oh! That was fast! I almost thought you're gonna ignore me again. I knocked earlier but didn't get an answer from you. Hymp!" Mai pouted as he stared at the man in front of her.

"What did you say just now? Did you just call me 'Naru'?" Noll was glaring at her.

Mai flinched, placing her hand over her mouth. Oops! She forgot that that was her pet name for him. 'Shoot'

"U-uh, I'm s-sorry. Um..." Mai was stuttering.

"Where did you hear that?" Naru asked still glaring at her.

"Eh?"

"I said where did you hear that?"

"Could it be that others call you that?" Mai was surprised "I knew it! Of course, they would. Narcissistic Naru-chan!" Mai was now patting him insistently on his shoulders while giggling.

Noll pinched the bridge of his nose. This woman is definitely becoming a nuisance.

"Come on. Have breakfast. Take a shower. I already ate earlier. So go on without me. I'll be at the garden." Mai said, beaming at him.

Noll went downstairs after taking a shower. While heading to the kitchen, he heard the doorbell rang. Who on earth would it be this time?

"Oh, Good morning, sir. Mcdonald's delivery for... uuh..." The man read the name written on the receipt, "Narr-naru?" The delivery guy said.

Naru looked at the man and the bag he was carrying. The delivery guy gave the bag when he noticed where Noll was looking. Noll paid for the food and went inside.

He ate in silence. He wasn't a fan of fast food since he would rather cook food for himself. It was healthier and he did not really fancy fast food. But he will let it slip for now since he was hungry.

Mai peeked at the doorframe and smiled at Naru.

"Wow. The delivery sure was fast." Mai smiled at him.

"Aren't you supposed to go somewhere else? I believe you can manage from here since I already cleaned your wound." Noll said bluntly.

"Eh, yeah. That. Um..." Mai thought for a while before speaking again.

"Is it okay if I stay here for a few more days? Eheh. Your house is big and maybe I can be a maid or a helper? Anything until I talk to one of my friends? Maybe she can let me stay in her apartment." Mai was scratching the back of her head. "Please?" She looked at him with hopeful eyes.

Noll raised an eyebrow at her. "Leave tomorrow morning. I don't care where you stay." Noll stood after finishing his breakfast and made his way back to his room.

"H-hey, Naru wait! Jeesh." Mai sighed. She just sat there and didn't follow him anymore. He doesn't seem to be the type to change his mind after all. She sulked for a moment then decided to go back to the garden.

...

"The kids will definitely love these jackets don't you think, Noll?" Gene was folding the jackets they bought for the kids in the Orphanage.

"I think so too." Noll smiled slightly at his brother, while packing some goods and a few stuffed toys, placing everything in a big box.

"Luke and the others will be there in a bit." Gene said.

"I'm almost done with this." Noll was at the last box.

"George hasn't been answering my calls. I wonder if he's okay?"

"I sent him an email. He said he should only be out of the country for a month." Noll said.

"You think we can do it? I mean about establishing and running the Orphanage?" Gene looked at Noll with a worried look.

"Of course. You have me, Gene." Noll flashed Gene one of his rare smile. A smile he would only give to his brother.

"I'm just nervous. What if we screw up or end up not doing it right? The ribbon cutting is in two weeks and George hasn't been back to finalize the papers and all!" Gene continued, uneasiness still lacing his voice.

"You worry yourself too much. Everything will be just fine. He's just fixing a few things regarding father's case. He should return around next week." Noll reassured his brother.

Gene just nodded and continued with the jackets he was folding.

…

**Author's note:**

So I just found this on one of my saved files on my online MS word account. I didn't have the confidence to post this 2 years ago. But here it is. The title came from the song "**Not Today" by Imagine dragons**. There is just something about the song that makes me feel sad and refreshed. It's a sad song but a light one too. Kinda hard to explain but I somehow like the feeling it gives me.

Apologies for any wrong grammar or spelling. I did not go through to check or did not use any grammar check tools so I hope you still like it. Thank you!


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